Have you ever wanted to peer behind the panes of a Georgian window, look behind the sandstone walls, or see how Tasmania’s heritage buildings have been adapted to house modern life?
Tasmania’s most popular architecture and design event, Open House, will be opening the buildings of the Southern Midlands over the weekend of November 1 & 2, 2025.
A preview of some of the buildings included in the program will be released for the launch event of Open House Southern Midlands on Saturday 9 August. The launch will be held in the Oatlands Supreme Court House – one of the oldest supreme court houses in Australia – and follows the first day of the Heritage & Bullock Festival in Oatlands.
Open House Southern Midlands is being organised and run by the Tasmanian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, the same team behind Open House Hobart – an annual, free architecture event, that opens some of Tasmania’s most unique and interesting buildings to the public. It is the local version of a global event, created by Victoria Thornton and first held in London in 1992 and now staged in more than 50 cities around the world. It gives visitors the chance to see how others live, work and play; look up, look inside, have a sticky-beak, and see the towns and cities from a different angle.
Eleven buildings in and around Oatlands, Dysart and Kempton feature in the preview of the program. These range from iconic churches in Oatlands and Kempton – some of which have been converted to new uses; colonial homesteads and cottages which have been restored, and in some instances, sympathetically added to with modern additions; a 1970s artists retreat in the hills of Mangalore; along with service buildings, including the Cantwell Store and the Melton Mowbray Hotel.
More buildings will be added to the program in the lead up to the event.
Tasmanian President of the Australian Institute of Architects, Daniel Lane, says, “architecture and design is all around us, and for everyone. The Open House program allows first-hand access to these spaces, to learn more about the buildings and the place. It’s wonderful that the program is coming to regional Tasmania this year.”
Jennifer Nichols, Open House Hobart co-producer, says that “more than just opening buildings, Open House Southern Midlands will tell the stories of those who lived, worked and played in these spaces and places, and how they continue to tell the stories of the current custodians.”
“Some of the buildings are iconic landmarks that we all know from our drives across the Midlands Highway, and our stopping points along the way, while others are more tucked away. We’re looking forward to revealing their secrets over the weekend of November 1 & 2,” says Nichols.
The Open House Southern Midlands will take place the weekend before Open House Hobart, which will take place on Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 November 2025.
This event received funding from the Tasmanian Government’s Built Heritage Grants, is supported by the Southern Midlands Council, and is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors and partners, including major partner, the Tasmanian Government, and design partner, Futago.
2025 Open House Southern Midlands launch
Saturday 9 August 2025, website with a preview program to go live at 6pm at https://openhousehobart.org/hobart/
Building opening times and addresses will be released closer to the program date.
2025 Open House Southern Midlands
Saturday 1 + Sunday 2 November 2025
2025 Open House Hobart
Saturday 8 + Sunday 9 November 2025
For media enquiries and photographs, contact:
Jennifer Nichols, Open House Hobart Co-Producer
Executive Director, Tasmanian Chapter
Australian Institute of Architects
+ 61 (3) 6214 1505 | M. +61 (0) 0409 216 526